An artist swapped her usual canvas and easel for metal boxes right in the middle of a town centre and worked under the watchful eyes of passers-by.

Professional painter Louise Dean has spent the last month on her hands and knees putting her talents with a paintbrush to use in Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells.

The 54-year-old has been transforming the plain Openreach utility boxes into stunning artwork.

She was contacted by charity Refresh Tunbridge Wells with the idea of turning multiple pieces of street furniture into public art.

She said: “It is the strangest commission I have ever been asked to do and I did think twice because I was concerned about painting in public and was worried about my back.

“But after several meetings with Refresh Tunbridge Wells we all just got swept up with it all.

“They wanted it to be playful and whimsical and we had children in mind and wanted it to appeal to them.

“I had the concept of one being a garden and the taller one being a doll's house as they sat sort of opposite one another.

“It was quite a tough job physically because you’re painting outside on the pavement, so it was tough on the knees and back.

“It was also difficult to finish because so many people would stop to have a chat or give some nice feedback.

“But ultimately everyone was so pleased to see a neglected part of town and these ugly boxes being transformed. It was incredibly rewarding and the feedback was lovely.”

It was far from straightforward, as both Refresh Tunbridge Wells and Louise had to wade through a red tape and permission requests before work could even start.

Louise, from Langton Green, took more than three days to paint the first box, then had a break before returning to transform the second.

The project was completed on October 3 and has already had the desired impact.

Louise said: “It’s a lovely feeling and, coming to the end, I could hear children walking past and getting excited.

“People were also saying we come here now with friends and their family’s children and that’s exactly what we wanted to achieve.”

Michael Holman, chairman of Refresh Tunbridge Wells was also happy with the outcome.

He said: “It was very well received by all the public walking past and we wanted to do something appealing to children.

“Louise has been a pleasure to work with and we’d be happy to work with her again if she wishes.”

The charity spent more than £1,000 on the project, with the money coming from multiple donations.

South East Water donated £500 to “thank residents for their patience during the freeze-thaw event” after thousands of homes were left without supplies last year.

South East Water’s customer service director, Tanya Sephton said: “The groups and organisations were chosen in conjunction with MP Greg Clark after being invited to apply for a share of the fund.

“We take our role as a responsible water company seriously and wanted to thank Tunbridge Wells residents for their understanding.

“This is a gesture that will have a long-term benefit for everyone – and there’s no better way than to support the tireless work of the great causes which are right at the heart of the community. A big thank you to them all.”

This donation was then matched by Tunbridge Wells’ Business Improvement District (BID), RTW Together. The last of the funds were raised by Refresh Tunbridge Wells.

A spokesman from the BID said: “A core aim for RTW Together is to improve the streetscene of the town for businesses, residents and visitors alike and have therefore been very pleased to collaborate with Refresh Tunbridge Wells and local artist Louise Dean to repurpose plain utility boxes into dynamic creative pieces of art.

“We look forward to continue supporting this initiative across the town.”

Refresh Tunbridge Wells is now looking for other potential utility boxes to rejuvenate. It wants to hear from other local artists who want to get involved and is open to other suggestions about how to brighten up the town.